Get Your First Look at Deadpool as Venom in Secret Secret Wars

The Venom symbiote can technically fuse with anyone, so it has had many hosts over the years, including Flash Thompson, Eddie Brock and, of course, Spider-Man. But now, Venom is getting an origin story of sorts, since Deadpool apparently donned the alien symbiote long before any web-slingers:

In the Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars spin-off, "Back in Black," Deadpool crosses paths with Venom before Spider-Man wore the suit in the original 1984 Secret Wars event. And not only does this show us a whole pocket of Deadpool and Venom's history that we've never seen before, it supposedly explains Venom's hostility towards Spider-Man, since its bondage with Deadpool drives it insane. Of course.

Here's the official synopsis for the Back in Black series:

During 1984's SECRET WARS, Deadpool was introduced to an alien symbiote who went on to become Spider-Man's black costume and, eventually, Venom. Okay, okay, maybe that really happened in DEADPOOL'S SECRET SECRET WARS. Point is, did you know that after Spider-Man rejected the costume…it went slinking back to Deadpool on the rebound? And they went on adventures together? You didn't? Well, you will, now, thanks to this series by Cullen Bunn (The DEADPOOL KILLOGY) & Salva Espin (DEADPOOL & THE MERCS FOR MONEY)!

Technically, this series isn't part of the official Marvel canon—it's more an amusing fake history lesson than an actual reveal—since Secret Secret Wars retcons the original series to make Deadpool a significant part of it. But it looks like a ton of fun, and the kind of thought experiment we could get behind.

Back in Black is written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Salvador Espin, with the first issue getting a variant cover from Deadpool creator Rob Liefield. The first issue hits comic book stores on October 5.